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towing car
stupott901 - 20/8/09 at 10:23 AM

hi there
would a suzuki vitara 1.6 petrol be any good to tow a car trailer with an mk on it?
just for short term
thanks

[Edited on 20/8/09 by stupott901]

speedyxjs - 20/8/09 at 10:27 AM

May be abit sluggish but should be fine

stupott901 - 20/8/09 at 10:29 AM

ok its only to get it to the sva retest and to the dvla then i would get rid
cheers stu

maartenromijn - 20/8/09 at 10:34 AM

It can tow up to 1100 kg, so should be fine.

pewe - 20/8/09 at 10:35 AM

Off the top of my head probably OK but it's to do with trailer weight plus MK weight v the vehicle's towing capacity.
Also be aware that newer licence holders need extra test to tow unless the combined trailer and its load are less than a certain %age of the car's weight.

Visit www.caravan club. co.uk where it should all be explained.

Presumably your Vitara is wired for a trailer board/ trailer lights?
HTH.
Cheers, Pewe

dhutch - 20/8/09 at 11:15 AM

quote:
Originally posted by pewe
Also be aware that newer licence holders need extra test to tow unless the combined trailer and its load are less than a certain %age of the car's weight.

As far as i know (having looked into it a bit at a post 97 leicense holder who tows) providing:
- The MAM (max plated weight) for the trailer doesnt excede the curb weight (unlaiden weight) of the tow car. Which is required anyway.
- And the whole train MAM (maxplate weight of car and trailer) doesnt excede 3500kg. {or the mam of the vehical is under 3500, and the trailer mam under 750}

Then your good to go. Taking the trailer test or having an older leiencse then simply ups the 3500kg figure to 8500kg or something.

But no, to answer the question, although it wont be dynamic, there should be no reason why you shouldnt tow with it as far as i can see.

Daniel

stupott901 - 20/8/09 at 11:36 AM

i have an pre 97 licence so im ok to tow

f750sgr - 20/8/09 at 07:39 PM

I towed a small race car on a fully enclosed trailer for 2 years with my 1.6 carb'd Vitara. Good up to the legal speed limit, but the short wheel base sufferred with cross winds and overtaking coaches.

JoelP - 20/8/09 at 09:16 PM

just remember that as the trailer weight increases as a proportion of the tow car, it gets more unstable, as f750sgr mentions. Maybe consider a stabiliser bar? I had a trailer snaking once and it could have killed me. And here's a link, without actually implying that that is what happened here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/8212227.stm

But it pays to be careful! What unstuck me was a poor tow car (406 estate) and a trailer that weighed more than it, at 60 past a lorry.